[tshoww]

Originally Posted by Litos

i don't think you're successful - i think you're living like the majority of the nation by living paycheck to paycheck....

you're way in over your head and your job is barely keeping you afloat.....

your wife probably sits at home and does nothing productive.....get her ass to work at a normal full time job.....

hell, even making a measly $10-12/hr would help ya'll tremendously.....

p.s.
you could be a lot worse - you could be unemployed with crying and hungry kids....

there - that's my unbiased observation based on what you have personally described in this thread.....

Yeah we could be a lot worse like living at a homeless shelter or something of that sort. Money wise we are ok as we don't buy unnecessary stuff, besides the BMW. We have a pretty good life.

Originally Posted by Litos

true - whoever said money can't buy happiness either has always been poor, or has never fully recovered from his methanphetamine induced coma......




"...In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women..."

sincerely,
Tony Montana

Money is the root of all evil....

Originally Posted by kevinbahnz

go out and buy something expensive it will make you feel better.

Ok will do!

Originally Posted by Litos

a used iPad !??!

iPads suck

Originally Posted by kevinbahnz

if that'll make him happy. Im just kidding , this kid sounds broke.

I'm not broke at all...

Originally Posted by MediaArtist

Yeah, it's all about what makes the individual happy, and how they judge their own success.

There are starving artist out there who get by on less than $1,000 a month and live in "artist communes", and think they are living in paradise.

Personally, I love living in the boring, safe, 'burbs.

As long as we are living that is what life is about. Working long days and nights to afford a nice house you can't enjoy isn't how we are suppose to live our lives

Originally Posted by Legitimate

Little early for a mid-life crisis there.

Not a mid life crisis I was just trying to see where everyone else was at 21

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

This will be your downfall until you correct that line of thinking.

There is always a bigger fish.

You could be a billionaire, and someone in your country club will have a bigger yacht than you.

This is very true I need to just focus on me, thank you!

Originally Posted by Augenbrauezug

Not if he gets one of these.


But seriously, lot's of good advice here. IMO you need to ditch the car asap, there is NO justification for owning it with 2 kids, a wife that doesn't work and you making sub 35k a year. Not spending money on other extras isn't justification, this money should be getting put into savings for your 2 kids down the road.

That is badass^^^ The car isn' that bad but I definitely need to be saving more for the kids. When I graduate i'm confident I can find a better paying job!

Originally Posted by CamelBiscuit

Go to Afghanistan and get shot at and then you will love your life.

Ok? I take this as I don't have it hard, which is true compared to your scenario.

Originally Posted by Oregano123

lol

Originally Posted by spanner1751

+1
Get rid of your E92 for something cheap and reliable, like a Corolla or Civic. You can always get another BMW later.
On the plus side, you're young and have a job. Work hard and good things are sure to come your way.
Try to get the wife to find a job that offers free child care while she's working.

The car isn't that expensive and we can afford it. If I was smart I would of got something cheap and reliable but i'm young and stupid and like luxury things. I tried telling my wife to find a secure job with benefits but she won't listen, typical women...

Originally Posted by fitchesbass

Sell the E92... I personally never understood buying a car and then having to live so tight on a budget for everything else in your life (esp if you have a fam and other priorities). I love cars more than anyone... but there are plenty of fun cars to be had that don't cost as much as an E92. Go get a E36 M3, learn how to wrench (e.g. don't take it to a mechanic for simple maintenance E36's are easy to work on) - use extra money to live your life and enjoy time with your growing family. E36 M3s can be had for sub-$10k anymore in decent condition.

In terms of not wrapping your tool... I don't know what to say about that. I'm 26 and am not married and have no kids. Have a longer term girlfriend (~2 years) and am living my life how I want to at the moment. Not personally looking for kids till I'm at least 30.

Everyone is different though, so live your life the way you want to, and enjoy it. Different strokes for different folks. Don't live your life to make other people happy; live your life to make you and your fam happy.

Edit:

And understand your wife is preggers at the moment.. but she needs to get a job sometime after the birth of the second kid. Though her salary will probably need to be weighed against the cost of day-care. In my area day-care is $$$. If she would make less than it takes to cover day-care then she could stay at home till the kids go to school... but it sounds like you need both incomes to really support your family.

Also do you have any idea what you'll use your undergrad degree for? Can you start trying to get experience or making connection to make it possible to get a better job once you're done? Should have done engineering... starting salaries are easily 50-60k minimum out of your undergrad. Too many college-aged people in the US like non-technical degrees these days... but that issue is a whole different can of worms. The US isn't going to be able to make or design anything innovative in the future at the rate US college students choose non-math or science related degrees (I digress).



Isn't this the truth (to some degree).. salary and location. 6 figures in some areas is the norm for just paying for monthly bills. I live in the DC area and while it's not the most expensive area in the US... 6 figures here is a helluva lot different then my home town back in PA. DC area you can get a mortgage on a 2- bedroom condo for what a good size single family house with a 2 / 3 car garage would go for in parts of PA.

That said, if you are making 6 figures and are still living pay check to pay check... you are living in over your head. I'd get roommates or sell my car (or never have even bought it in the first place!) if I was living pay check to pay while making 6 figures.

Money wise we re living pretty comfortable but I definitely understand what your saying. I would love to drive an older M3 but there aren't any locally, plus I don't know how to drive stick... As far as the salaries go yes it varies. 6 figures here in Vegas and you could live comfortably versus 6 figures in New York and you can barely afford an apartment lol. My degree is mainly for government management but I will get my master's in something different or apply to law school as I took the LSAT

Originally Posted by DARK_M3

Yes it is relative to where you live and then all the expenses. I'm not saying I'm paycheck to paycheck but people do tend to live at or above their means most of the time. Ah well...life is good and family is good so I can't really complain.

people like nice things that is why they live at or above their means most the time. IF your family is good then life is good too!

Originally Posted by ddk632

The problem with financial goals, from my humble and perhaps not so vast experience in the grand scheme of things, is that when one makes $X per year, the thought goes something like 'man if only I made $Y per year, I would be pretty set.'

Then when that person hits $Y per year, their tastes change and the goal post moves further away. So now, 'man, if only I made $Z per year...'

If you are ambitious and continually strive for the most out of life, this cycle, as I am beginning to realize, will never end.

The guy who wants a Ferrari but can only afford a BMW dreams of someday owning that Ferrari. Meanwhile, the guy who owns the Ferrari is dreaming about a 60' yacht and a house in Monte Carlo. I guess the guy who has all of this probably dreams of a private island or a personal country?

I believe there is nothing wrong with any of that, so long as one is grateful of where they currently are, and strives to fill their shoes TODAY to the best extent possible, so that when opportunities arise to move up, they can be seized. Be grateful for and content with what you have, but avoid stagnation and always have goals to strive for no matter what that next level is for you.

There are more areas in life to consider beyond the financial. Emotional, physical, intellectual, interpersonal, and other factors all play a role.

In my early 20's I met many physical goals, read lots of books, but didn't have a family and made no money that anyone would brag about. Now I have a family, have nice cars (not at that Ferrari level, yet!), a business, but damn if it's hard to get to the gym every day or have time to read books on my favorite subjects.

It's all relative and the advice and responses in this thread, harsh or encouraging, are all great. I would add that as you focus on one aspect of your being, naturally other aspects take a back seat. Having goals for each different aspect will help keep that balance of total happiness, so you don't feel like the wealthy guy with no family, or the unhealthy guy who has a family and a career, or any other unbalanced situation that you would consider unacceptable, since these things mean different things to different people.

If you are struggling, and don't want to sell your car, and want your wife to stay at home, you can get a second job nights and weekends to supplement. Where there is a will, there is a way. Not to sound cliche, but this philosophy has served me well in the long run.

Very true, once you get something you just want more... good advice thank you!

Originally Posted by Terraforce1

I think you are too hard on yourself.

You're only 21 and been working for 3 years. Sorry to tell you but you probably have another 44 years to go

You have a house, a wife and a child plus another on the way. Sit back and enjoy it all while you can, because one day it could all be taken away (god forbid obviously) but it sounds like you don't appreciate what you have.

All the best

Very true, I need to be more positive about my situation which I am I just wanted to see where most other BMW enthusiasts where at the age 21

Originally Posted by Asbjørn

Im going to say this, and I know you wont listen, but I will tell you anyway. The life you have now was a very weird dream 100 years ago, and if you move to China, there will be more than 1 billion people here that will make you feel very successful indeed.

All is relative, but it is hard to see if you only look at the leaders in your finance sector.

I read and listened haha thank you?

Originally Posted by grimlock

When I was 21 I was horny as hell and that was all that mattered

good for you! sounds like a lot has changed haha jk